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All About Heather’s Picks

The first thing you see when you walk into our Indigo is a table of Heather’s Picks. Heather is, of course, Heather Reisman, Indigo’s CEO and THE authority in this country on what makes a good read. Since 1998, she’s anointed more than 260 books and, in the process, helped jumpstart the careers of young authors from around the world.

They keep writers writing

Of course authors do what they do because they love it. But they still need to eat. When Heather recommends a book, it “usually sells quite well” she said in a 2016 Toronto Star article. But more than that, it gives them confidence and validation, and that drives them to be better. Heather picked A Man Called Ove by then-unknown Swedish author Fredrik Backman. She introduced a whole country to him, and helped him get to 1M+ copies sold. Since then, he’s published six more books, and Ove was turned into a movie.

They keep book clubs going

Heather reads a book a week. But she starts reading far more. Her rule: if she’s not hooked after 20 pages, she’s done. And she’s been doing this long enough to know what voracious readers want. She’s almost always right. We know of a book club in Etobicoke that only reads Heather’s Picks.

They keep parents happy

If you’re going to read the same book every night for a month, it’d better be good. Heather’s eye for amazing kids’ books is unquestionable, with titles like Goodnight Goodnight Construction Site and its perfect poetic cadence (not one deviation from the established beat), and The Book With No Pictures, which might be the most innovative kids’ book of the past ten years.

And they keep books in peoples’ hands

Yes, eReaders are great. And yes, they’re the future. But you can’t beat the feeling of actually turning the pages of a page-turner. We see people reading Heather’s Picks’ books in the western lounge area on the Concourse level, at the tables in front of Scaccia and Timothy’s, on the treadmills at the Good Life and, of course, at the Starbucks in Indigo.

With our renovation in full swing, Indigo’s Bay Street entrance is the closest unimpeded way into Manulife Centre. You’ll see Heather’s Picks as soon as you walk in. Choose one and enjoy.